mcduffie



J. W. M DUFFIE March 17, 1964 CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 18. 1961 INVENTOR JA MES W. McDUFF/E J. w. MCDUFFIIE March 17, 1964 CONTAINER V 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Filed Aug. 18, 1961 INVENTOR JAMES W. McDUl-TIF United States Patent Rand Corporation, New Holland, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 18, 1961, Ser. No. 132,397 8 Claims. (Cl. 242-129) This invention relates to containers for baling wire and the like, and more particularly to means associated with a container for a coil of wire to hold the coil in proper position relative to the container as wire is reeled out and the volume of wire in the coil diminishes.

Wire containers have been provided on hay balers to hold wire coils for supplying tying mechanisms. Each container is adapted to hold one wire coil, the sides and periphery of the container having engagement with the sides and periphery of the wire coil when the coil is new. Such engagement keeps the coil in proper relation relative to the container. However, as wire is drawn from the coil, beginning at the center thereof and progressing radially outwardly, the volume of wire decreases and the stability of the coil cornmensurately decreases. When the last portion of wire is reached, such as the last five or ten percent of the coil, there is a tendency for the coil to collapse. If collapsing takes place too soon, the wire may become tangled and prevent Withdrawal from the container.

One object of this invention is to provide a wire coil container having coil retainers or positioners to hold the coil in desired relation to the container regardless of the amount of wire which has been withdrawn from the coil.

Another object of this invention is to provide a wire coil container having wire coil retaining means which is shiftable and orientable relative to the container and the wire coil therein to accommodate for variations in outside diameter from one coil to the next and so that a constant holding effect will be exerted upon a coil.

Another object of this invention is to provide a wire coil container having retaining means which operates in such a manner that there is no interference with withdrawal of wire from the container.

A further object of this invention is to provide a wire coil container having retaining means which prevents the coils of wire from falling laterally when the last portion of the wire coil is reached.

A still further object of this invention is to provide wire coil retaining means which is of simple, inexpensive design, easily assembled, manufacture and repaired.

Other objects of this invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specification and from the recital in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a wire container having wire coil retaining means constructed according to this invention, a portion of one side of the container being broken away;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a section through the container showing a wire coil therein which has been substantially reduced in size by wire withdrawal and illustrating the shifting of the retaining means retaining means relative to the container, such section being taken on the line 33 of FIG. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals of reference, ltl denotes a wire container which comprises a top half 11 and a bottom half 12 connected together by hinge means 14. The hinge means 14 is located at one lateral end of the container, 2. releasable latch 15 being provided at the opposite side of the container. When the latch 15 is removed, the upper half 11 of the container may be pivoted in a counterclockwise direction from the position shown in FIG. 1 about the hinge means 14 to an open position. When opened, a coil of Wire W may be placed in the container and then the top half may be swung back to closed position and the latch means reinserted.

Container 10 has side walls 16 and 18, provided with co-axial openings 20 and 21, respectively, through which wire may be withdrawn. The wire coil W has a free end strand 22, adjacent the center of the coil which may be passed through either side wall opening. The sides of cointainer 10 are interconnected by a pair of tie rods 25 and 26 adjacent the bottom of the container and spaced apart as shown to provide a cradle for the coil of wire. The top of the container is provided with tie rods 23 and 29 which interconnect the upper portions of the side walls, and also provide handles for lifting the container.

It will be noted from FIG. 1, that when a full coil of wire is located in the container 10, the coil seats upon the tie rods 25 and 26. The tie rods 28 and 29 are substantially spaced from the periphery of the coil to provide finger room so that the rods can be readily grasped. As wire is withdrawn from the container, the volume of wire in the coil progressively diminishes and it is desirable to hold the coil so that it will not collapse as the last five or ten percent of the coil is reached. To prevent collapsing, four wire retaining means 30 are provided and angnlarly spaced relative to each other. There are two retaining means on the top half 11 of the container and two on the lower half. Each retainer means is the same as the others and therefore only one will be described.

Each retainer means 30 comprises a transversely extending retainer member 31 having tabs 32 and 34 which extend through side walls 16 and 18, respectively. The tabs project through slots 35 which are elongate in a direction radial to the axis of the container and the wire coil. Each outwardly projecting tab has a spring 36 connected to it. The opposite end of each spring is connected to an ear 38 on the wire container and the two springs for each retainer cooperate to exert a constant radially inwardly pulling force. The spring biased retaining members 31 have serrated inner edges 33, the teeth of which firmly engage the periphery of the wire coil W and thereby provide gripping or holding means. The size of the serrations are designed to relate to the gauge of the wire, being somewhat wider from tooth to tooth than two wire strands.

A flange 39 is provided on each retaining member to limit longitudinal movement thereof. If the retaining member tends to move toward the side wall 16, flange 39 will engage the wall and be stopped thereby. Conversely, if the retainer tends to move in opposite direction its flange 39 will engage the wall 18 and thus limit movement of the retainer.

The retainers 3d are so angularly spaced that a first retainer 40 exerts a force on the coil toward a second retainer 41, and retainer 4-1 exerts a force toward retainer 40. Third and fourth retainers 42 and 44- are pulled toward each other by their respective springs 36. Thus, regardless of the portion of coil W which may tend to move, a retainer will exert a hold thereon.

When the size of the coil reaches a stage such as shown in FIG. 3, the overall weight of the coil has diminished to such an extent that the springs 36 are eifective to move all of the retainer member 31 radially inwardly and the coil is centralized thereby relative to the container and not offset relative thereto as shown in FIG. 1 when the coil is full and new. The orientation of the coil relative to the container as the volume of wire diminishes, is desirable since it properly locates the coil relative to the outlet openings 2t) and 21. As the last or final strands of wire are withdrawn, the coils are prevented from tilting laterally because of the serrations 33 on the retainer members 31.

The wire retaining means employed is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, assemble and repair. The retainers 31, in cooperation with side walls 16 and 18 of the container 10, properly hold the wire coil relative to the container structure. Fouling and tangling of the wire is thereby prevented and withdrawal of the wire from the container is facilitated. The retainers in no way interfere with the withdrawal of wire and they adapt to variations in coil diameters.

While this invention has been described in connection with a particular embodiment thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of modification, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains, and as fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A wire coil container having a pair of side walls between which a coil is adapted to be positioned with the axis of the coil transverse to said walls, one of said walls, at least, having an opening through which wire may be withdrawn, means for retaining the coil in proper position relative to the container and for preventing the coil from collapsing therein as the size of the coil diminishes responsive to wire withdrawal, said retaining means comprising a retainer member extending between said side walls and engageable with the periphery of the coil, means mounting said retainer member on said container for movement relative thereto comprising tabs on said retainer member projectable through slots in said side Walls and outside of said side walls, and spring means interconnected between said container and said retaining member for biasing the retaining member toward engagement with said coil.

2. 'A wire container as recited in claim 1 wherein means is provided on said retainer member for limiting the extension of the retainer member through said slots.

3. A wire coil container as recited in claim 1 wherein said spring means comprises a spring connected outside of said side walls to each of said tabs.

4. A wire coil container as recited in claim 3 wherein said slots for said tabs are elongate and extend radially relative to said opening in said one side wall and said retainer member is constrained to move relative to said container in a radial direction only.

5. A wire coil container having a pair of side Walls between which a coil is adapted to be positioned with the axis of the coil transverse to said walls, one of said walls, at least, having an opening through which wire may be withdrawn, means for retaining the coil in proper position relative to the container and for preventing the coil from collapsing therein as the size of the coil diminishes responsive to wire withdrawal, said retaining means comprising a retainer member extending between said side walls and engageable with the periphery of the coil, said retainer member having gripping means engageable with said coil periphery to hold the wire from falling to- 4 Ward said side walls, means mounting said retainer member on said container for movement relative thereto, and spring means interconnected between said container and said retaining member for biasing the retaining member toward engagement with said coil.

6. A wire coil container as recited in claim 5 wherein said gripping means comprises a serrated edge on said retainer member.

7. A wire coil container having a pair of vertical side walls between which a coil is adapted to be positioned with the axis of the :coil horizontal and transverse to said walls, one of said walls, at least, having an opening through which wire may be withdrawn, means for retaining the coil in proper position relative to the container and for preventing the coil from collapsing therein and falling toward either of said walls as the size of the coil diminishes responsive to wire withdrawal, said retaining means comprising a retainer member extending between said side walls and having a longitudinal edge engageable with the periphery of the coil, said edge having gripping means positively holding the wire of the coil against movement in the direction of the coil axis, means mounting said retainer member on said container for movement relative thereto and in a radial direction relative to said coil, and spring means interconnected between said container and said retaining member biasing the retaining member radially inwardly toward engagement with said coil.

8. A Wire coil container having a pair of vertical side walls between which a coil is adapted to be positioned with the axis of the coil horizontal and transverse to said walls, one of said walls, at least, having an opening through which wire may be withdrawn, means for retaining the coil in proper position relative to the container and for preventing the coil from collapsing therein and falling toward either of said walls as the size of the coil diminishes responsive to wire withdrawal, said retaining means comprising a first pair of spaced retaining members in substantially the same horizontal plane below said coil axis, a second pair of spaced retaining members in substantially the same horizontal plane above said coil axis, each retaining member extending between said side walls and having a longitudinal edge engageable with the periphery of the coil, said edge having gripping means positively holding the wire in the coil against movement in the direction of the coil axis, means mounting said retainer members on said container for movement relative thereto and in a radial direction relative to said coil, spring means interconnected between said container and said retaining members to bias them radially inwardly toward engagement with the coil, one retaining member of said first pair being diametrically opposite one retaining member of said second pair and the other retaining member of the first pair being diametrically opposite the other retaining member of the second pair whereby all of the retaining members cooperate with each other to exert proper control of the coil.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,329,240 Hays Jan. 27, 1920 

1. A WIRE COIL CONTAINER HAVING A PAIR OF SIDE WALLS BETWEEN WHICH A COIL IS ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED WITH THE AXIS OF THE COIL TRANSVERSE TO SAID WALLS, ONE OF SAID WALLS, AT LEAST, HAVING AN OPENING THROUGH WHICH WIRE MAY BE WITHDRAWN, MEANS FOR RETAINING THE COIL IN PROPER POSITION RELATIVE TO THE CONTAINER AND FOR PREVENTING THE COIL FROM COLLAPSING THEREIN AS THE SIZE OF THE COIL DIMINISHES RESPONSIVE TO WIRE WITHDRAWAL, SAID RETAINING MEANS COMPRISING A RETAINER MEMBER EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SIDE WALLS AND ENGAGEABLE WITH THE PERIPHERY OF THE COIL, MEANS MOUNTING SAID RETAINER MEMBER ON SAID CONTAINER FOR MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO COMPRISING TABS ON SAID RETAINER MEMBER PROJECTABLE THROUGH SLOTS IN SAID SIDE WALLS AND OUTSIDE OF SAID SIDE WALLS, AND SPRING MEANS INTERCONNECTED BETWEEN SAID CONTAINER AND SAID RETAINING MEMBER FOR BIASING THE RETAINING MEMBER TOWARD ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID COIL. 